Hello -
I want to paint those ‘lines’ on a 1:48th scale Stuka canopy. No way my hand is steady enough to just use a brush, so I think I will have to mask and spray. I have some liquid mask, and some tape - but I’m not sure which would work best. Both seem to me that they would require some knife work to get a crisp straight edge, but I would think that would also put a visable line in the clear plastic.
What are the techniques you use to mask and paint airplane canopys?
Thanks!
Boris
I would try one sort of pre cut canopy mask,like this one or any other out there.I like the way Tamiya included them on their F-14
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/e-z-masks-103-ju87d-g-stuka-canopy-mask--1174657
Mask around the edge of the frames with thin strips of Tamiya tape ( about 1 to 1.5 mm wide strips) then fill in the center with liquid mask.
Agree with the Tamiya tape - and yes, knife work is required. Use a brand new xacto blade.
But - I will do everything I can to find the precut masks like Tojo is talking about. Eduard makes masks (including wheel masks) for most newer kits.
Cut your tape into narrow strips with a fresh blade and straightedge on a piece of glass or tile or equivalent. Burnish the edge with a toothpick.
Remove as soon as you can. Lightly run a blade along the tape edge so you just cut through the paint film, helps with pulling paint off the frame. if you have some paint bleed under the tape, lightly run a sharp blade along the frame and the lightly scrape with a toothpick to remove.
Yeah - I dont think I’m going to purchase a mask-kit. I have to try and keep my costs down. If the mask-kits were just two or three dollars I might give one a go, but I’m seeing them in the 10 to 20 dollar range. Which is what I paid for the entire kit. Not worth it to me.
Peace-
Boris
Don’t overthink it. You do not have to mask the whole thing at once or cover all of the glass.
For a given rectangle, I would use eight pieces of tape.
Don’t try to create that magic one piece does the trick solution.
I start by putting one piece in each corner, with a very clean cut on the end in the corner. The piece should be only slightly longer than half the distance to the next corner.
Then do another piece in that corner that comes back and only slightly overlaps the first piece.
Do the same for the other three sides, and spray with clear.
do enough of them to get both most of it done.
Then paint.
Bill
What Tojo said is the way I would go.
Bill -
I don’t understand why I would spray with clear?
Peace-
Boris
clear seals the edges to minimize paint seepage under the tape. else if it does the paint color is clear
First:
Dip entire canopy with Future/Gauzy or similar (Don’t use Badger Varnishes, it goes yellow!)
Easiest way with tape:
Cut lengths of Tamiya or other high quality kabuki tape. apply up to edge of first vertical hoop, and carry all the way over the top and down the other side.
THEN do the leading edge of the NEXT hoop and fill in the middle.
The idea is only do the Vertical frames.
Burnish the edges of the tape. Some people spray future now, to prevent paint bleeding under the tape.
Spray thin interior colour (RLM interior black whatever), then exterior colour(s).
Peel off tape & make good.
ONLY then do the horizontals as above.
IF you make a mess, dip in Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) & start again.
An alternative is to buy some Clear INKJET decal paper, cut a inch wide strip from the top width (don’t waste too much),
SPRAY interior colour, then exterior colour(s).
IMPORTANT! Seal with Future.
Then cut into thin strips matching the frame widths, and apply as decals to the (futured) canopy.
Both are labour intensive but give good sharp edges.